Mon Valley Investigation Report

An Ambassador Feasibility Study prepared for the Benedum Foundation

July 2015

Once home to some of the largest steel and industrial centers in the country, the Monongahela River Valley was an economic power house. The collapse of these industries has led to the decline of once thriving and prosperous communities along the banks of the Monongahela River. This economic decline has resulted in a large exodus from these communities, culminating in years of physical decay of a once vibrant urban fabric. As buildings and other structures have deteriorated and demolished, unmaintained vacant land has taken their place. These vacant spaces now represent an opportunity for crime, neglect and disinvestment that can rapidly spread to healthier areas that remain.

• Capacity inventory and analysis of 9 Mon Valley municipalities: Clairton, Dravosburg,Duquesne, Elizabeth, Homestead, McKeesport, West Elizabeth, West Homestead, Whitaker
• Assessment of vacant land for 5 Mon Valley municipalities: Clairton, Duquesne, Homestead, McKeesport, West Homestead
• A decision matrix for selecting a community for Ambassador program